Senior IPS officers in the country are now required to complete annual courses in ChatGPT, generative AI, cybersecurity, and integrative wellness. If they fail to do so, they will get lower appraisal scores affecting their increments and promotions.
The Union Home Ministry has sent a letter to all the Chief Secretaries of states and Union Territories, instructing IPS officers to complete the required modules on the iGOT Karmayogi platform each year.
For the 2026-27 period, officers must complete the first three courses in each seniority band, and a full assessment will be available only after completion.
The ministry has chosen 24 courses, six for each of the four service brackets.
The process starts with the 2018 batch. Officers with up to nine years’ service must attend a course on emerging technologies provided by the Wadhwani Foundation, a session on search-and-seizure procedures under the NDPS Act organised by the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVNPA), and a workshop on cybersecurity fundamentals for leaders from the National e-Governance Division. The remaining modules deal with personal finance, the use of feedback as a leadership tool, and the proper handling of mobile devices at crime scenes.
Those from the 2011 to 2017 batches (between nine and 16 years’ service) will be dealing with emerging technologies, given an overview of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which has replaced the Criminal Procedure Code, and also be involved with the interoperable criminal justice system; the other courses cover leading teams, the skills of noting and drafting, and mastering feedback.
For the group of officers who have between 16 and 25 years’ service, specifically those from the 2001 to 2010 batches, the list covers emerging technologies, evidence-based policymaking, the basics of cybersecurity, the art of storytelling, the use of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools by Government officials, and change management in digital transformation projects.
Officers in the 25-year category and those from the 2000 batch and earlier mostly receive the same set of training. They also attend an integrative wellness module offered by Rashtriya Raksha University, since it is the only health and resilience course in the programme.
The syllabus addresses the pressures senior IPS officers face these days, such as digital evidence, new criminal procedures, data-driven decisions, the public narrative, and generative tools entering government offices.
As Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR) grades already determine annual salary increases, promotion panels, and central deputations, the Centre has made iGOT completion and assessment scores a must for an IPS officer’s career by including them in the appraisal.
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